Lilac

I've been picking lilacs today. To make cordial (saft). My arms are that tired again, after a period when I've felt strong and full of energy. So right now I have a break, between brushing the lemons and cesting them. Or what ever you call it... Using that knuckle buster on them! :)
It's always tough to go from "healthy" to aching and sooo tired, in just a few days. This cordial making is an attempt to cheer myself up. Hope it works!
By the way, if you still have lilacs you should really try my cordial, I wrote it down on the blog last year, think the post is called Shirt dress and lilacs. Bye then!

Beloved garden

How I love my garden! Not that it's perfect in any sense, not even close. It's full of weeds, the grass is high, and I would have to change a lot to make it the garden of my dreams. But I love the fact that I do have a garden. To sit in, to stroll around in, and actually to work in. It's good for my soul. I brought the camera, since I like how the world suddenly is filled with little wonders when I look for things to snap a picture of. Like these tulips. I don't think I would have noticed that peculiar shape if I hadn't taken this picture. Adorable! (Please ignore the nettle in the background, I do. I'll remove it from the flower bed another day. Maybe.)

And the apple blossoms, aren't they just beautiful?! 

I spent most of my time outdoors in the spicy part of my kitchen, you know, with the mint, the oregano, sage and lavender. They were waiting for me to re-arrange them a little bit and today I finally had it done. And then I added some seeds to the kitchen garden, and planted some flowers... And sat in the hammock with the kids, having cinnamon buns and muffins. Walking around with bare feet, that are now brown from stepping on some of the dandelions covering the lawn. What a lovely day!

Seaside pictures

 I promised you more pictures, and here they come. I have been working the last two days and didn't get the time to sit down by the computer until today. It's always exciting to download the pictures from camera and mobile, since I never really remember exactly what I pointed that lens at. :) I kind of rediscover them, and the memories they represent.

The first day by the sea was windy and rainy, but we just had to get down to the water anyway. It's a bit of a walk from the camp site to the beach, but it's quite a lovely walk. The trees are marked by the wind, and you almost get the feeling of being abroad, everything looks so different from what we're used to. Windy and rainy it was, and the waves came crashing in. Dramatic and beautiful! The kids wanted to try out there new water canons, and so they did. And despite the wellingtons, they got wet because of the waves surprising them. :)

Instead they started playing by a creek leading out into the sea, throwing sand in the wind and trying to make sea shells float as far as possible. There's always something to do by the water. I walked around and admired pretty sea shells and sand formations. Don't want to drown you in pictures though, so I picked out a few.

The next day was sunny and warm, and almost no wind at all. Definitely no rain, so we had saw a few smiles when people looked at our kids, looking like this. But there was a reason (beside the wet pants and socks from yesterday). 

Time to shoot around with the water canons! :)

While mummy played around with sea shells...

And followed the birds footsteps. I love how they disappear around the bend... Watching the kids playing by the water, walking around on the beach and on the sand dunes, talking with my darling husband. Love the mood the beach gets us all in. Pure happiness, I would call it!

This seemed to be a busy place for some reason... I love the different sizes on the footprints.

And here we have other markings in the sand. While we watched sea shells, driftwood and dunes, someone had made himself a country with cities and roads. And funny names for the cities too. I admire the creativity!

Someone else had turned into a sea monster, muddy and with scary teeth. :) This monster sometimes makes very funny noises when it's saying "s", it's quite tricky when you're missing your two front teeth!

We stayed for two more days, but no more walks to the beach this time. But we're going back again later this summer, and I'm pretty certain I'll bring the camera that time too... ;)

By the ocean

I guess I understood I would blog less often now when I have a job. But I don't want to give you the impression that I've given up blogging all together, so I thought I'd say hi...
Hi! I'm on vacation. :) Sort of... The kids are free from school four days, and my husband is working at a conference on a camp site/conference center. So we tagged along, with our little caravan. The weather has been very windy most of the time, a little rainy too. But yesterday we had sunshine and went down to the ocean. Love it there! And how the kids enjoy playing there, no matter what the weather is like. :) They play in the sand or shoot water canons, while husband and I stroll around and enjoy nature. Sea shells, bird footprints, wood washed by the sea...
Work again when we get home, but I'll try to have a moment by the computer to show you some more pictures. Got to go now, the kids want ice cream and I'm the one with the money... :)

Weekend outdoors

Look, look what I did! :) I actually sat down and made a few rows of crochet last night. It felt good, I have to say. First aching hands, and now when they feel a little better, I haven't really had the time or energy to sit down with any needlework at all. I fall asleep early every night, not used to all this "go to work"-business yet, and the weekends are stuffed with activity too. And that's really what I wanted to talk about today.

This is where I spent most of last weekend. We were hiking as we call it, although we don't walk that far into the little grove where we usually spend our Thursday evenings with a bunch of kids every spring and autumn. We are called Royal Rangers, and this is an activity for kids that our church has. So "our" nine kids and us grown-ups came here Saturday morning and left Sunday noon. (I have to admit that some of us spent the night in our own beds, but the others slept soundly in our shelter. 

Welcome to our kitchen! :) Everything is cooked over open fire. The yellow box/kitchen counter is our only cupboard, it contains a few drawers with beaters, spatulas, a few bowls and things like that.

One of our stoves. We build up a fire under the gratings, and cook on it. I think it's cool  that you can actually build a stove with wood, string and dirt. :)

But when we baked potatoes, we used a fire pit on the ground instead. Let the fire burn out, and put them on the bed of embers. 

Fire is most fascinating, don't you think? I love the late nights out there, when I sit by the fire as the kids are getting ready for bed. It's dark and pretty quiet, and I sit there under a wool blanket, staring into the flames and embers. They almost look alive!

I didn't show you the kids, since I'm not sure their parents would approve of that, but I can tell you we all had a great time. Building kites (that didn't fly), playing games, sending off flying paper lanterns, eating (everything you cook and eat outdoors tastes so much better than anything else) and laughing. But you're pretty tired once you get back home... :)

Date night, birthday, spring and mint!

I have so much to talk about this time, I really don't know where to start. OK, let's start with last Friday. My husband and I left the kids behind (but well taken care of, of course) and went to Jönköping, a city an hour and a half from here. We haven't been away like that for ages, just the two of us, so we really enjoyed it. We love going places together, since we love sitting in the car talking. About absolutely everything and anything. Quality time, I say! And with no kids interrupting from the back seat, the drive went really fast! The reason for the trip was a concert, Steven Curtis Chapman visiting Sweden for the first time ever, and also some Swedish artist that we both like. A wonderful night! And I even managed to stay awake the whole way home. :)

Next day, we went to Jönköping again, this time to visit my sister who recently turned a year older and wiser. :) Now you can never guess her age, right? ;) I just love spending time with my family, and especially with my nephews. They grow so fast! But I have to admit I kept falling asleep all the time on our way home. At ten o'clock, why is that?

Sunday was all about church and garden time. The kids were playing around in the beautiful weather and I was tidying up the garden after the winter, as always a little late... But at least it's done now. And we had a lovely barbecue in the evening, enjoying the sunshine. Lovely!

Yesterday was a busy day. First of all, I went to work. Yes, that's right. No more sitting at home every day. Some friends have a funeral home, and they need some extra help when it's busy. As always, the head was spinning after the first day. All new impressions and all new things to learn... But I hope it will all settle and turn out quite well.

In the evening (after a rest under a warm blanket), we went to celebrate the arrival of spring with a huge bonfire by the lake, the traditional songs and speeches and everything. (At least a Swedish tradition the last of April.)

Today, we were all at home. The kids were pretty tired after a late night (or several, actually) and chose to take it easy. Reading, playing around, sitting in a chair in the garden... The husband and I, on the other hand, have been working. Digging up plants, making a bigger flower bed, putting plants in the new flower bed, lawn mowing...

Well, my husband made all the hard work. Except digging up the mint that was escaping their due place and had to be taken care of. That was hard work, I tell you! Those roots... Aaargh! They could make anyone crazy!

Came bedtime for a tired girl, and I sit by the window. Watching the husband still working outside, watching my potted plants thriving from all attention I've been giving them. Growing, flowering...

Tomorrow is a new day, and I'm working a few hours. So it won't be a late night for me... I need my rest. Hopefully I'll be able to use my aching shoulders tomorrow... that mint! But I enjoyed it, at least most of it. Gardening is good for the soul. And best of all, I was strong enough in hands and arms to do it! Yay!!! :)